The Real Story of the Two Wolves

represents

Shadow Work

The Popular Version of the Two Wolves Story:

An elderly Cherokee grandfather is teaching his grandson about life. He explains that a terrible fight is going on inside him, a battle between two wolves.

One wolf is evil: It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, and ego.
The other wolf is good: It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

The grandfather tells the boy this same fight is going on inside every other person, too. The grandson listens intently and then asks, "Which wolf will win, Grandfather?"

The old man smiles and simply replies, "The one you feed."

The Real Story

Passed Down

by

Northern American Indigenous Elders

Though due to cultural misappropriation and the horrific treatment of indigenous populations,

the origin, though attributed to the Cherokee by a white preacher in 1978, is, at this time, unknown.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. ”It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “If you feed them right, they both win. You see, if you only choose to feed the white wolf, the black one will be hiding around every corner waiting for you to become distracted or weak and jump to get the attention he craves. He will always be angry and always fighting the white wolf. But if you acknowledge him, embrace him, you integrate and become whole. For the black wolf has many qualities – tenacity, courage, fearlessness, strong-will, and great strategic thinking – that you have need of at times and that the white wolf lacks. But the white wolf has compassion, caring, strength and the ability to recognize what is in the best interest of all.”

“You see, son, the white wolf needs the black wolf at his side. To feed only one would starve the other and they will become uncontrollable. To feed and care for both means they will serve you well and do nothing that is not a part of something greater, something good, something of life. Feed them both and there will be no more internal struggle for your attention. And when there is no battle inside, you can listen to the voices of deeper knowing that will guide you in choosing what is right in every circumstance.

Peace, my son, is the Cherokee mission in life.

A man or a woman who has peace inside has everything.

A man or a woman who is pulled apart by the war inside him or her has nothing.

“How you choose to interact with the opposing forces within you will determine your life. Starve one or the other or guide them both toward integration, wisdom, and peace.”

–Attributed to the Cherokee - Origin Unknown

Visualization of The Real Story of the Two Wolves

Coupled with Interesting Facts about Wolves

The she-wolf has this habit of wrapping herself around the neck of her wolf because the neck is the most vulnerable part of the animal.

By doing so, she shows him her unconditional love.

For ethologists: Wolves are the most loyal and loving animals. They have only one partner throughout their life. The wolf is known to have an almost extraordinary tenderness and affection towards their life partner.

Wolves represent protection and loyalty, strong intelligence, the desire for freedom, family and friendship, and are even a warning sign of threats or lack of trust in others or yourself.

You can use mantras and affirmations to get in touch with the Wolf Spirit Animal and bring its wisdom into your life.

Examples of mantras and affirmations:

I step into my power
I honor my instincts

I am capable of integration
I attract my tribe

Background of Origin of Shadow Work

“I am not what happened to me, I am who I choose to become”

♥ Carl Jung

The Psyche:

♥ Definition: Term used to describe the inner world of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is the source of our experiences, motivations, and behaviors. It is constantly evolving and changing throughout our lives.

♥ Key Benefit of Understanding Your Psyche: Increased Self-Awareness

Greater the understanding of our thoughts, feelings, emotions = Ability to make more conscious choices, improve our relationships with others, and reduce anxiety and emotional distress.

♥ Jung’s depiction of the psyche:

Conscious Mind: part of our psyche that is aware of our thoughts and experiences

Unconscious Mind: thoughts, feelings, and experiences that are outside of our awareness

Personal unconscious mind contains repressed thoughts, feelings, experiences

Collective unconscious mind contains archetypes, universal symbols, socialization – shared by all people

♥ Jung believed that exploring the psyche was essential for personal growth, individuation, and process of becoming one’s authentic self.

♥ By exploring the unconscious mind we gain deeper understanding of our motivations, reactions, behaviors, to make changes to live more authentic lives.

♥ The study of the psyche is an interdisciplinary field that draws on psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and spirituality.

The Real Story of The Two Wolves

The Real Story of the Two Wolves

represents

Shadow Work

The Real Story

Passed Down

by

Northern American Indigenous Elders

How do we face and integrate our own Shadows?

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